Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm FINALLY finished, thank goodness *that's* over.

It means I can return to watching Survivor 16 Micronesia: Fans vs Favourites (or Favorites as the Americans say...) without an ounce of guilt. I'm on episode 9 now.

I do this while downing a pint of water to keep me really hydrated for prodding maximus tomorrow. I'll have another pint in the morning too. It should counteract that litre of Diet Coke Caffeine I had today (I think there's a scientific name for what caffeine is...like something which sucks the water and calcium out of you or something) - never good.

I have got to find the strength from somewhere tomorrow not to bawl my eyes out. I'm a terrible loser when it comes to looking at needles that put stuff INTO you- I can do bloods without much (verbal) fuss, but the other stuff....ugh.

ALSO: Gutted that I went the ENTIRE 4th of May without realising the importance of the date: MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!!!!! I realised it two days late, d'oh!

*STRESS*

I had a good day and then my temperature has gone up tonight. My last exam is SO close and yet SO far away. I'm tired and wide awake. I have polished off four litres of Diet Coke since Sunday and bought another 2 Litres today which I'm going to get through.

I'm moody like nobody's business. As the saying goes "Studying seems as appealing as playing leapfrog with unicorns." I snapped at a person, and then I cried because I felt *so* bad about it. I don't know how people put up with me half the time!

Needless to say, I do *NOT* deal with stress well.

4 Down, 1 To Go With a Bump In the Road...

Eeeek. Well to say it "seems only fitting" would make it out to be a positive thing, but I shall be ending this academic year as I started: on IVs. :(

Having posted last night, I checked my temperature this morning and it was from about 36.8-37. For a normal person, about right, but for me, ideally a twitch too high- especially when I have "not-so-nice-stuff" in my lungs.

I had an exam at 2pm but decided to give the clinic a buzz this morning and ask them if it could be weather related. They said, no, the sun didn't do it. So I had to go over.

Now imagine the scenario where you haven't studied and had banked on 4 straight hours cramming before an exam which are now required to be spent in a hospital. So I declined their offer to come over.

And then I felt bad.

So me and my mom scooted across. I had the laptop on my lap reading notes and I got seen by the head man himself. Bloods were taken, and despite good SATs readings (98%/85bpm) he wasn't happy that I've been having this 'grumbling infection' for over a month which isn't normal.

I told him I had an exam on Thursday so I'm to go in for prodding maximus, to find a vein and begin treatment on Friday. My class party is on Friday. Talk about frustrating. Now that I can drink again (see previous reactions) I had been looking forward to having one or two on Friday, but not on antibiotics which is a real bummer. And *yes* I can enjoy myself without getting sloshed, but it's just frustrating.

Doc said 7-10days of antibiotics. I'd say with my veins that will be 7days. Which means I'll be finished in time for the others to finish their exams so I'll just bandwagon their celebrations I think...

The Final Stretch

Ahhhhhh! Tomorrow is my second last exam! Yikeys and crikeys!

It is still incredibly hot here. This evening I'm finding myself with warm cheeks. I checked my temperature and it tells me it's 37.2. I get the other thermometer and it reads 37. I can't tell if that's because it's hot outside and my body is trying to adjust to the sudden burst of heat or if there's something wrong.

An evaluation of my other symptoms suggest I'm fine. Except that I've been bringing up pure not nice stuff from my lungs for about a week.... but yet, I don't feel unwell.

So why all the kerfuffle? Well, post transplant, you are required to check your temperature twice a day as having a temperature is a SERIOUS sign of something not right and must be acted upon immediately. I rooted out my old 'red book' for instructions and it says over 37, one must take paracetamol and read again in two hours.

I do *not* like having my body act in such a funny manner. Hopefully everything is fine, and the pesky weather is to blame.

I realised that I never mentioned my fellow bloggee, Jac, who only ten days ago received her lung transplant. Two years waiting and all. She's recovering really well at the same hospital I was seen at. Pop on over and wish her well!

GUESTBOOK FIXEEEED

I do realise that all these posts indicate a high level of non-study but going through my old email account I found an email from someone telling me my guestbook blocked them out from posting.

I swear this was purely accidental.

I discovered I had accidentally blocked out pretty much all of northern Europe from posting anything: whoooops!

Anyway it's all fixed now. And my email address has changed, should you have queries about the ker-waffle I post here.

I bet you're all going to rush to the guestbook now and have a goo. Not that I'm pushing or hinting you to or anything. At all. No subtle hints here, no sir-eee! It's not like I need distracting or anything, nope! Or crave a comment. In the guestbook. To the right. Heck, no!!

But I'm watching you.

"Study"

Here is an example of my study process. I open the slideshow. Open my note-pad.*** I begin writing the information from the slide-shows into essay format. Below is an example of my study of 'memory':

On closer inspection, this simple and easy process is lengthened...

BY ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FIVE slides!!!! Ironic, but how am I supposed to remember all that?!

***the opening of pad action occurs approximately 3.7 hours after opening the slide-show as certain tasks like browsing the internet take priority.

Rest Day # 3: SUMMER!

Today was my third rest day, but with the excuse that it's over 20*C here today! Freakin' amazing!!!! Of course, this means that I haven't got a bean in my head to study with because it's just so hot.

The dog got a walk though.

We might have a BBQ tomorrow. We *could* have one today but it's Sunday so, no. In fact, we'll wait until the weather gets bad again, and then we'll say 'oh it's a pity we didn't have a BBQ when we had the chance'.

Rest Day # 2

Hot day today, yay. I went to college to change my access password so I could then access material from home.

I decided that copying out notes/playgerising other people's work (I'm sure they're long dead anyway)/ reading slide-shows beat sorting my room out.

I did have a gander at the variety of clothes I own (or total lack thereof) and decided that a shopping spree is now essential. But then I remembered I'm going stateside in 10 weeks time so I browsed some of my FAVOURITE American clothes shops' websites instead.

In 2006, I weighed as light as a feather. In 2007, my body got totally confused by the sudden tonnes of food which it began receiving per day and the weight went primarily on my tummy. With a bit of gym-ness and regulation training toward the end of 2007 and ever since, my body seems to be FINALLY moulding into some sort of shape.

Hence the reason why I have no clothes. Because nothing looked good. But now it might. Hence the new shopping-ness.

Can't ever beat trackie bottoms and big hoodies all the same though. So despite my new sparkling American wardrobe which will soon stand in my bedroom, I shall continue to try my best to look like a hobo. Or as my mom says about people 'someone on the way to the recycling bin'. So cruel.

Rest Day

I got my Delilah back even though I didn't want her back, ugh. *MUCH* prefer my rental car. Suppose there are perks to being knocked into.

And today was a day of rest. Also on a side note, but does anyone else find DVDs, no matter what the topic, impossibly difficult to stay awake to/for?? I fell asleep during Miss Congeniality tonight, I've fallen asleep during DreamGirls (have the soundtrack so would actually like to watch that someday) and also managed to sleep right the way through Sweeney Todd (don't think I'll bother with that one again though...) which I "saw" in the Cinema!!! Bah I don't know...

Tomorrow I will start some form of study that does not involve checking emails, checking Bebo/Facebook, chatting to peoples on msn ALL day or browsing holidays.

Or maybe I'll attempt sorting out my room.

No, NO, mussst study!

Actually I've so many bad options for tomorrow I can't decide which is worse...

3 Down, 2 To Go

Way-hey, half way through. This is the first time I've had to drink some of my Coke (which actually is full to the brim with all my notes and answers that I can cheat with...oh but shush...). I don't know if I was actually having a hypo, but I couldn't think straight so took some anyway.

This one was psychology, which to date has been my best subject, so much so that I've already manged to pass the year having not done the exam. At the same time however, I like to do well, and so wanted to keep my grade point average up high so I did study. Six questions came up and we had to do answer three (three essays). I basically wrote and rewrote essays as part of my study process for two topics. I could have studied four (or six for that matter) but gambled and only studied three hoping those three would come up. Unfortunately only two came up, however the essays I wrote were very comprehensive, well rehearsed and contained referencing: everything I could do in order to get as high a mark as I could.

With regard to the third question, I decided I could waffle a little bit on some information and make it sound bit....bull. But instead I figured I would only get a handful of marks for that so I just went and made my other two essays as good as I could and drew some sort of spider gram for my third hoping I'd get some marks.

I'm relieved because I know I've passed but also because it's my last exam until Tuesday. It's unreal having the summer so close but sad in a way because all my 'old' (and I mean that literally, because they are actually ancient as I started school young) friends are now going to be finished college forever which means they're not allowed be immature like me anymore. Crikey!

Tomorrow I do NOT get a lie in as I have to return the rental car I've been buzzing about in. Delilah and myself are being reunited. To be honest I don't want her back having had my rental but at least she isn't banged up in an embarrassing fashion anymore.

2 Down, 3 to go...

Today was my second exam. This is the one I LITERALLY didn't study for. It had two components to it: Photoshop and Illustrator. I know my way around Photoshop a bit. I'm able to 'shop' photos to make them funny and can do useless stuff with it like that. However, it's a bit like going to a friend and being able to say a few sentences in Japanese, it's impressive, but once you go to Japan it's not much at all!

Anyway I needed to get 14% in the exam in order to pass the year, so fingers crossed I got that much but who knows? It didn't go as well as yesterday so when I was leaving I was trying to put it to the back of mind and concentrate on planning my study for tomorrow's exam. I got into my car and turned the engine on, still feeling a bit blah. "You're A Superstar" came on. Not many (I don't know if any?) people will understand the significance that song holds, but it's pretty big. Especially considering I haven't heard it at all since I heard it that day in December. I sat and listened to it, and smiled. Then I drove off and felt quite a bit better about the exam, about my day and about myself :)

1 Down, 4 To Go

I sat my very first college exam today. It was nerve wrecking, mostly because I didn't study for it. I got up at 8.30am to begin study and left for college at about 12.45pm. At least there are repeats at the end of the summer, so if I don't do well I'll get a second chance. To be honest though, who wants to spend their summer with an exam looming at the other end?? *Fingers crossed*

Being a diabetic, and having given myself a nice little hypo in another exam during the year, one where I couldn't leave to get sugar because I was too embarrassed so I just trundled through and left early, I decided to be better prepared this time around.

The STRICT rules say one bottle of water only, so last week I politely went and asked if it would be ok if I brought in a small thing of Coke (Cola...) just in case. I figured it would be pretty straight forward, but NO. I needed a consultant's letter. I guess it would be pretty easy to conceal answers in the black liquid and all that...

Then I read the rules about bathroom breaks, and still not fully over my tummy sickness, I wanted to be sure that should I need to leave if I felt unwell I wouldn't be penalised and lose time. *DING DING* Another consultant's letter please!

So I went in today and the invigilators were ever so nice and explained that they had got the message about me and that I'd be up the front and near the door which was great, and allowed my coca-cola and hooo-haww.

During the exam I saw one of them opening to read the letter and watched her expressions. Rather humorous actually! The letter basically gave my health history and had a list of my 'ailments'. I take it as a compliment that I don't look like I have anything wrong with me!...until I open my mouth but that's for another day... :P

We had three hours to do the exam so naturally I raced at the start, then slowed down, then stopped, got distracted by other things, started daydreaming about the summer (happens me when I study too) and then I started again. Loads of people left after the hour which made no sense to me at all. So I hope I've passed anyway. Computery one tomorrow.

Boohoodles.

And After

I see I haven't posted a photo of me here in ages. Well I'm sorry if you have just got your screens and monitors repaired because I feel bad and decided to post one up. It's me, the morning after the night before, when I should have been studying but changed my mind. And *yes* I AM doing my make-up differently these days- thanks for noticing!! :D

Busy Lizzy...

...that's what I'd call myself if my name was Elizabeth, but it's not. But I've been busy all the same!

I had our college's formal ball on Wednesday night which was great fun! I've seen some pictures this morning (because my camera died on me that night so I am relying on others who happen to be terribly slowwwww!) and amazingly I actually look a healthy weight! I ALWAYS manage to see a too skinny me in formal pictures but these ones I look healthy in- whooo. Although saying that, the dress that I wore managed to drop my lung function down to about 50%: I could barely get it closed and when I did, I could barely breathe. It took a bit of getting used to but I did it- no pain, no gain and weight gain=pain!

The next night we decided to go to the local (my college's local) because we're supposed to be studying and I am the queen of procrastination. I only meant to spend an hour there but ended up leaving at closing time. Boooo.

Yesterday, having officially finished college and being a mere 3 days away from exams I saw this as a perfect distraction free opportunity to get my head in the books. Instead it went into a cushion as I fell asleep on the couch.

Not to worry, after dinner I cracked open the book and started writing essays. I used to be great at revision but it's been three years since I left school and so my new method is just to write essays, highlight them and learn them. This way I'm repeating the knowledge when I go to write it, when I go to highlight it and when I go to learn it. I may change my tactic for next year...

So today I've slept in until lunch time and EILEEN is insisting we go out to town tonight. Normally I'd say no, what with middle of the night being my prime study hours, but my legs are looking fantastic from the formal ball and it would be a shame to waste them. Like, d'uh!

Oh well, be young, be foolish, but be happy!

Normal

Well I'm never normal but anyway. Today I missed my morning class...again! I think falling out of a routine has really messed me up. Oh well.

I have a feeling tonight that my 'sore tummy' is returning. I hope not because tomorrow I plan to get up and make my early, early class.

Then I finally made it down to Dundrum to do some shopping at last today. We have our formal ball on Wednesday night so I needed to get a few things for that, which, whoohooo, I did. I also looked at nice bikinis too because the summer is itchingly close. I held off however as I wasn't sure which colour would go best on me.

Then this evening I signed up for the Women's Mini Marathon. For some reason, this year the 10k seems a LOT longer than last year. Not good. And I also realised upon signing up, that I put my first name where my surname should be and my surname where my first name should be.

So now the emails are coming in, "Thanks Fitz for signing up!!" and "Greetings Miss Rosemary".

I am definitely not normal.

Clinic-y Winic-y *wince* part 2 !!!

At 2.15pm I went into the xray room and lay on a bed and everyone looked at my Second Belly Button. The doctor kept asking me questions but then kept cutting me off whenever I answered with a 'ok, ok, yeah, yeah, that's fine'. But he wasn't listening to my ANSWERS! So the questions got repeated again like 3 minutes later. Things like:

"Did they give you stitches when they removed this tube?"
"No. But I had it put in when I was-"
"-'ok, ok, yeah, yeah, that's fine"

3 minutes later

"So did you just have this put in for your transplant?"
"No, I had it put in when I was like 5 for night-"
"-'ok, ok, yeah, yeah, that's fine"

3 more minutes later

"So did you just use it when you were sick yeah?"
"No, I i had it put in when I was 5 for night feeding and when-"
""-'ok, ok, yeah, yeah, that's fine"

And so it went on. Bah. So I had layers upon layers of sheets put over me each with a little square hole cut out so they could still see Second Belly Button.

The procedure was to put a little catheter (kind of like a piece of tubing) into the hole and put dye in and watch on the screen and see where the dye travels to. The pain of the catheter was honestly, horrible. It wasn't a sting, it wasn't an ache, it was just dreadfully uncomfortable. I think only people who have/had tubes know what it's like, but I found it just horrible. I *didn't* cry though (!!!) but very dramatically shouted "Ow, ow, owwwwwww, owww, oh I HATE this feeling, oh it's awful, oh, ow, ow". I think I might have scared the doctor though, which quite frankly I didn't really mind doing. Maybe he's not a fan of drama?

Then the dye went in and we watched the screen and took photos. I didn't take the photos obviously, but the machine did. Honestly, I couldn't really see what was going on. I think I could see my stomach though, and obviously the dye. He had me roll from left to right and then it was over. It took 15minutes at most. He said there was a small something, something, something but he doesn't know what will be done about it and he didn't want to "cloud my thoughts with his ideas" (a bit fancy for someone who doesn't like drama!) so my clinic will tell me. Basically I take that to mean there's something but it's not serious and they mightn't treat it I guess.

So little Mickey continues to perform his party piece uninvited.

Then they gave me a chicken sandwich and water to apologise. Honestly, I'd have preferred my €10 parking paid for, but never mind. I then found out I lost my parking ticket anyway but Frank (the car park man who needs a name) just calculated the times and charged me.

Then I came home, napped soundly, EILEEN woke me, barged into my house with Noon and Mermaid (names obviously slightly changed there because I feel like it), sat, kidnapped me, we went and had food, then we dropped Mermaid back to her apartment, where I accidentally set off an alarm when leaving... and ran. I hope the alarm didn't cause too much hassle. Ooops. And while wanting to cry, I just laughed. In a very evil manner.....

The REAL Clinic-y Winic-y *wince*- part 1 !!!

This morning I was very good and got up nice and early and aimed to be in the hospital by about 9.30am. I had to have bloods taken as they couldn't get blood on Wednesday, do lung function tests and then have my Second Belly Button looked at via fistulagram (thing where they inject dye to see if there's some sort of permanent opening somewhere) which was at 11am. All in all, a simple plan which would see me out by lunch.

I drove, traffic was light and I ticked my first goal off of 'be on time' with glee.

Then I went to the blood testing department. There was a queue, so naturally I went up to the top, explained that I had been here on Wednesday and was instructed to come back today and I'd be fast passed up to the front. Or that's how I naively understood it to be. Then the secretary snapped at me and said "Yeah well luv, y'er still gonna have ta queue loike, ya can't be skippin' everyone else yano". Cow. And that made me nearly cry because I was feeling emotional for some reason.

*** I think that if the clinic cannot provide a blood taking service (which fortunately is rare, I'm told-unfortunately for me, I'm the rare one!) then one immuno-suppresseeee shouldn't have to wait in a public room where people with Goodness knows what are all waiting. As far as I understand it, the transplant clinic nurses do try their hardest to get the blood taking department to ensure transplant patients are fast passed, but unless they are dragged down (away from their work) each and every time to explain this it doesn't happen. The blood taking place should have a sign up in their systems or something, or even a sign around me which says 'SKIP ME UP'....or something. It's not that difficult, and I don't believe it's me being "Queen Bee", I think it's a reasonable request. *COMMUNICATION* ***

So blah, got the bloods done first time which was fantastic! (Tick number two) And then I went to lung function lab and my lungs are breathing 98%!!!!!!!!!! Whooop! So all's great!!! THEN I saw the dietitian about my poor sore tummy and it seems there may be problems along the lines of something deep inside is getting blocked and sending my system out of whack. (A type of DIOS for any medical peoples) I've never had this before so my understanding is a bit vague at best so don't take my word there.

And then I arrived in radiology for my fistulagram at the ripe time of 11am. Where I waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually I asked if I was sitting in the right area- I was. And at 12.30 I asked a nurse if there was a delay or what time I could expect to be seen at because my appointment was for 11am. "Yeah well they're only a guideline time, they're only a guideline" she said. I told her that yes, I understood that (d'uh) but it was now 12.30pm! I mean were they a guideline time or a guideline day?! After she snapped at me, I wanted to cry again. Badly. Because I'm an emotional ninken-poop today.

After that got around that I was WAITING, people came and talked to me and said it could be another 40minutes. (Again, with the wanting to cry) So I went off and bought a silly book, credit and came back. As I began reading my book, the nurse and radiographer took pity on me and came and sat and talked to me- While. I. was. reading. my. book. that. I. had. just. bought. because. I. was. waiting!!! So the €10 book went into the bag and I politely engaged them in chat. They were looking for the doctor to perform the test and were actually really nice. I think they felt bad for me really. The corridors become achingly quiet as it became clear I was the last one left. The staff were all leaving to go on their lunch, which is where the doctor went too. The nurse and radiographer stayed with me and talked and finally at 2pm word came that I would be seen soon.

And the next bit added to that bit is soooo long, I'll post it tomorrow...

But basically my final rant: We pay for our health service, both in our taxes, and some of us privately. It is a health SERVICE. So why do they always have the attitude that they are doing us a favour? Eh nope, we are customers and I really feel people should start treating us like that. Even on the most basic level of encountering patients and not snapping- especially if we are emotional ones!!!

If I turned up to a restaurant for 7pm and didn't get served until 1opm, would I go back? Eh no. Would I stay? Eh no. Forced to stay would I pay? If I could get out of it, eh no. But sadly there is only ONE health service that so many of us have no option but to use. So stop treating us like crap scraped off the bottom of your shoe. You are providing us a service not doing us a favour.

Can you tell my emotional state has turned to fury upon reflection?? And it's great to have a Dad who teaches you to stand up when things are not right.

Clinic-y Winic-y

This morning I slept in. There's a surprise. I was due in clinic at about 9.30ish but woke up at 9.40ish. I impressed myself at the speed at which I showered and dried my hair and SPEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD down the road (in my car, to the bus stop) though!! Because of Dr Patrick Hillary's funeral in town, I decided to get the 46a because of all the "traffic" on the roads.

It seemed everybody copied that idea, but nonetheless I took the bus. The last time I took the 46a, the bus driver told me to get off as quite frankly, he wasn't bothered finishing the route - I am the last passenger after all.

Today, they finished it even earlier! (At the top of O'Connell st for anyone who's interested) It was reaaaaaaalll late by this stage but nice and sunny so I walked.

I went straight to the blood taking department where even I flummoxed the experts today. Three needles later and not one drop of blood means I return on Friday (I've got other business there anyway). The lady used a technique I've never seen before: Tongue sticking out, she held the needle like a jouster holds his pointy thing in a duel and took aim and fire. With limited success.

I then went back and because of my tardiness lung function lab was shut. So I'll do that on Friday as well. I told them all about my poor tummy etc, etc. Then I said I didn't want to see the doctor in charge of clinic today as there's nothing important I want to discuss and while with some doctors I don't mind going through the whole routine of "Yes, I'm fine. Yes, nice weather", others I'd rather just avoid. I do need to point out the doctor (who's name sounds a bit like a friendly ghost) who usually is there I adore. But he wasn't in.

So I got the bus, got back to my car and drove home. Then I went and got MacDonalds and went to college. We have a hippy who teaches us on Wednesdays so I was able to bring it all to class. Apparently MacDonalds has a smell though?? I've never noticed...

So in a nutshell, I have to actually get there on time on Friday! Grrrrrr

Etterly Betterly

That title is nonsense too. Bah.

Today I decided to skip my morning lectures again. I had a nice lunch and went in for my afternoon Statistics lecture which is a bit like getting two hours of study done and I was awake and fed enough to pay attention.

My tummy feels better than yesterday. I've cut out fattening my food up a bit, which means no butter which honestly makes me want to cry. I love nothing better than BUTTER!! But alas I can wait.

Unfortunately the crankniess of being sick, while subsiding quite a bit still sees me being a bit childish today. This afternoon for example, it was roasting hot. Driving home was very balmy and nice but it made Delilah (the car) go stuffy and then the window open made her too breezy. I'm never satisifed. Anyway, the road where I live is often used as a rat-run and it drives me bananas!! So a nice big car was behind me, with a nice preemed suit driving it rather impatiently - On my tail like nobody's business. So basically I dropped my speed back until I registered 15mph. And he continued to sit on my tail the whole time!! So then I stopped and let other cars come past us where the road narrows very, very slightly. And then I continued, nice and slowly to my house. And then I stuck on my indicator, and very carefully and slowly turned up my driveway. At which point he zoomed off on.

I always get sooooo impatient being stuck behing slooooooowww drivers so I hope that he felt the same. But I didn't feel better about myself actually. Poor fella, my antics weren't evenr worth it.

Oh well, tomorrow I'll be taking the very spooky 46a to the hospital for a review. I would drive but it's Patrick Hilary's (former president from the seventies(?)) funeral in the pro catherdral and with some roads being closed I'll only get lost. The users of the roads should count themselves very, very lucky!!

But then again, patience is a virtue!*










*I don't know what that actually means but I do know it's something witty and clever and I hear it a lot...

Bumdiddily

I couldn't think of a title and so to be childish I wrote that. It makes me smile because to the best of my knowledge it's not a word, hardee, har, har. Yes, I'm going to get a life soon. Or some fresh air...

I still have a sore tummy at the moment and as I mentioned before this sort of issue rarely causes me problems (thankfully!) but when it does even an orchestra of violins can't make me feel better. Winding other people up, annoying other people, acting like a bratty child and pushing other peoples' buttons seems to help some what. Thank God I've got dimples or I wouldn't easily be forgiven!

Basically:

Diabetics (as in REAL diabetics, not me) don't have insulin so they can't take sugar without help. My body can't digest fat at all. And as fat is in everything (that I eat anyway) I need to take medication in the form of tablets to correct this problem, similar to the way diabetics take insulin or tablets when they eat. It's all about the balance. And for a long, long time the 'balance' has always been pretty good for me.

Until last week. And I felt incredibly ill. And snappy, oh gosh, like a CRAB! I suspected that bad heartburn/reflux was making me burn the tablets before they could work, and on my Dad's birthday (Friday; By the way Happy Birthday!) I looked pregnant it was that bad. So I had reflux and looked pregnant and I didn't even get a baby at the end of it all. So I was busy lashing back anti-acids (?) and the old Omeprazoles (things that make you produce LESS acid) and I felt better.

And then on Saturday I improved. Greatly. I didn't feel sore or sick. Until Sunday and we're back to square one. So if I tell you I have a 'sore tummy' that's what I mean.

But last night, at like 2am I went to bed with my hot water bottle and I turned on the TV and the film "Same Time, Next Year" came on. I saw it when I was in New York a few years ago and I NEVER watch films that I haven't seen before (work that one out) but this time I did and it was really nice to watch it again. Kind of like when you're homesick and something reminds you of home and you feel better, except this reminded me of a holiday. I guess I think I need a holiday. And the crazy thing was it's made in the seventies and we all know nothing good was made back then. Except for The Sting, Carrie, Grease, Sesame Street and The Brady Bunch (but not the movie).

No Longer So Bumless

Today I went to college. I decided last night that I would so I did. I woke up nice and early and had ample time for breakfast, work on the laptop and general shamoozing around while I waited for my Mom to bring my car back from the garage. Delilah is still as bitterly battered in her rear end as ever but *this* garage managed to fix her 'tailgate' (or boot) so she now locks. And that annoying "Warning: Tailgate Open: Check Tailgate" ridiculous picture alarm on my screen has gone. So I'm happy.


I had an exam this morning, which was optional for me, which always feels nice going into and then I had to work on my 1minute animation which had to be handed in today. You'd think that 1 minute wouldn't take that long but it took me over 5 hours to make. And it was so short to begin with, I had to scrap my 'story' and just add bits on to make it last 60 seconds. Then when I had a plot that might work, I knew it would go on for too long and so I had to cut it short again. Grief, I'm terrible at timing. So the story is terrible. But I'll give you a run through before you click the little 'play' triangle.

You can pretty much guess what the story (and moral thereof) was SUPPOSED to be from the opening title and subsequent few frames. But that *story* lasted 7 or 14 seconds I think?

So then I decided to add a new character but try to keep it within the morally based tale and make it nice and friendly and blah, blah. Only once I figured out how to make them talk by using text beside their bodies (which is a LOT harder than you think) I realised that this was a clever way to clock up some seconds.

And before I knew it I had 6 seconds left so I decided to wrap it up pretty quickly. Hence the weird ending which I actually find funny as it just doesn't match the start. Oh well, never mind, Practice Makes Perfect!!!:

EDIT: Best let this one load up (takes a while) otherwise you don't get the full effect!! Just click play and then pause and it should load up. AND DO NOT be tempted to watch it until it has ALL loaded up, as in don't be clicking when you've got half of it ready. Ya hear? AND it seems I went 11 seconds over, whooops!

EDIT-EDIT: There's no audio. After five hours I couldn't be bothered. The last frame should say "fin"...

Being a Bum

I've had a sore tummy all week. This isn't the 'other belly button' thing, this is a separate issue which rarely causes me any trouble. But whenever I don't feel great I get snappy and whenever I'm in that kind of mood, I'm best kept away from the general public. There was this one time I was driving at a reasonable speed in a car park when a child darted out in front of me. I stopped and nothing had happened, as I'd seen the idiot running around like a fool before he sprung out in front of my car. His mother then (and only then, AFTER he threw himself in front of a moving car in a busy car park) turned around and took him and looked at me disapprovingly and said 'Be careful...'. In hindsight, she was probably more worried for her silly boy who is just asking for trouble as opposed to being annoyed with me, BUTTTTTTT, my window was down and I was having a snappy day so I replied 'Why don't you watch your child????' in THEEE. SNAPPIEST. RUDEST. CAN'T-BE-DEALING-WITH-RIFF-RAFF. TONE. EVER. Eeeek.

ANYWAY, I decided last night that I wouldn't go to college this morning. Despite this, I woke up with PLENTY of time but because I'd made my decision last night, I had to stick to my guns. I rolled over for more sleep but I kept waking up again (my conscience maybe?). FINALLY the time reached 10am, meaning I was officially late at which point I decided 'well I'm late now, no point in rushing' so I rolled over and went back to sleep again. Now that's stubbornness.

So then I decided I'd go in for my 1pm lecture. But alas, didn't happen. I did however manage to achieve the following tasks to make up for my........poor show today:

• Had a shower
• Had a nap
• Didn't dry my hair (ugh) but straightened it later
• Broke both my laptops
• Fixed the home computer
• Figured out how to unbreak both laptops
• Watched Neighbours
• Watched some of Home & Away
• Had dinner
• Watched Big Brother USA
• *Memory Lapse*
• Ate microwave popcorn with self added butter (just to bump that cholesterol number up)

And that kind of brings me to now. I'm going to go talk to myself in the mirror. I'm joking, I'm not, but that would be pretty funny if someone actually caught me doing that.

PS: HI to 'Charm'!!!! Hope you're lucky! (couldn't resist, I do apologise...)

Leaking!

Well despite my 'ok' scan yesterday which showed everything was fine yet left the question open as to what was causing my occasional 'leaks', I leaked again today with some blood too. Sorry to be graphic.

This all stems from the fact that I was tube fed for 17 years, 15 of those were directly into my tummy. Since I no longer require such feeding, the plug was pulled out leaving a nice little hole where it was. It actually looks not too bad at all, and looks more like a belly button than my belly button. When it's not reminding me what I ate for lunch. Sorry to be graphic!

And today I became the Chairmanperson of our Skiing Society in college. There was no vote and I didn't even put myself forward, in fact I didn't even know the position needed filling. The treasurer just told me that I was it for next year. I told her I'd actually prefer to be the treasurer as I'd get all the moneeyyysssssss be a good responsible figure for our treasury!!! But she shot that idea down. I wonder did she see the €€€ signs in my eyes?

Anyway I can't ski that well but I can chair meetings so whoop. I think next year is probably the year to admit to the fact that I'm a diabetic and have had a lung transplant to the society. I chickened out this year because I was afraid it might result in me needing special insurance, having to fill out forms, admit to things and yawn, yawn.

So this year, with me in charge I can do what I like! I'll just come clean to me and nobody needs to know! Changes need to happen though, starting with a name change I think....something along the lines of 'Rosie's Club'....yeah...and upping of fees...yeah....whoooo!

Hum-diddly

My scan was fine, more needed to figure out the problem, but anything majorly wrong was at least ruled out. So the party piece continues for the moment.

My scan was scheduled for 2pm and I didn't have until 2.15pm. Fifteen minutes late isn't bad in all fairness but why should I wait?? Anyways I did.

The radiographer asked me why I carried around a sharps box (bright yellow container of used needles)with me all the time. I was actually carrying it around with me so I could drop it into the clinic for disposal. Who just carries around a box full of needles with them??? I was going to say so that I could shake it in peoples' faces to get attention and spray the needles at them if needs be. But I didn't.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

My Cold is Gone

And now the title has devoid (right word?) me of a blog entry! D'oh.

I have my scan tomorrow. It doesn't say I have to fast but I think I would have to. But they didn't say either way so, humdiddly.

Interestingly, on my trip through being ever so nosey blogsville I read one (CF related) from a parent's perspective. I'm (obviously) not a parent so I can only pontificate from my own experience, but I was slightly taken aback about the material treatment given to the child with CF. Sadly I fear that treating (figuratively and literally) a child simply because they have a condition such as CF simply does not prepare them for the real world, and can sometimes mould them into a spoilt person.

When I was younger I would regularly get chest infections requiring a couple of weeks spent in hospital. Up until I was nine, this would often be a torturous experience (which I honestly feel created my phobia of cannulas) as veins were poked daily, much to my "WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME???-ness". Since CF is a genetic condition, it means I inherited the bad genes from my parents. I have never blamed them for that as it wasn't like they were having a bad day and decided 'oh here, have some CF'.

I can't actually remember being given gifts from my parents aside from hugs, toiletries or new pyjamas because of this. Most days we'd walk to the hospital shop and get a lolly or a packet of Frosties. Oh except one time I BEGGED them to get me a beanie babies cat when I was in hospital, but that was it. And I clearly remember my Mum saying that was a once off!! But why should they?

Fair enough nobody else in my class in school would have had to deal with all that, but we all have stuff to deal with. Does the child who is, shall we say 'one sandwich short of a picnic' get treats from their parents because let's face it, they're never going to be able to run a multi-million euro company? Or how about the child who's less than 5"5 who won't ever be allowed to be an air hostess (thanks Mum and Dad by the way!!)? Do they get treated specially?

Maybe it's guilt, I'm not sure. And how one decides to raise their childer is completely and entirely up to them, but I think that being treated with expensive material items isn't necessary. It's just re-enforcing some sort of 'not-right' behaviour.

I'll edit this post when I figure out what I'm trying to say.

PS: Oh and hello and big waves to Alice!!!!

PPS: Doubtful, but if the person whose blog I am referring to (well who sparked this post) happens to be reading this, please don't get offended or huffy. I am merely writing MY opinion on MY blog after reading yours!

PPPS: B.A.S. & D. it's not you! :P

The End of TBWW

This week was Tracksuit Bottom Wearing Week. I usually wear jeans or other but at the start of this week I had a sore (and preggers looking) tummy which is unusual for me, so I opted for the comfy option...for the entire week. Trinny & Susannah say that when you don't feel like making an effort, that's the very time to make a special effort. Remind me to pull their book out of the bin before Monday.

I have to have a scan done on Monday on my 'second belly button' as there's a question mark over whether it's actually 1000000% shut. So I'll make Monday a TBW day too.

On other fronts my exams are starting in just three weeks. I HATE exams. I freak and stress and panic and give myself hypos (sugar= TOO low) from time to time. Luckily I found out that I've already passed 2 of the five classes already through my assingments I handed in over the year. I'll find out if I've managed to pass a third on Tuesday. Both lecturers suggested that I should attempt their papers anyway just for experience. I told them I'd think about it but I might be busy that day. (Which EILEEN calls a bad attidude - um priorities!)

And I got some sort of cold yesterday.

In other news, EILEEN got some sort of killer cold yesterday too. *shakes fist*

Well if I'm honest, I already had mine before I went stalking her so she shant (word?) be blamed THIS time. And tip: if you BEGIN to get the sniffles, do numerous sinus rinses, it's seemed to keep the blocked nose element of this cold away from me thank goodness!

Fools of April

I planned no jokes this year which is pretty unusual for me. But thankfully I was NOT an April fool either. I am rest assured that next year, when I play jokes I'll do them properly and they'll be funny. Unlike SOME idiots:

Some online dictionary defines a fool as "a person who lacks good judgment". I'd whole heartily agree.

See Eileen and Helen planned a joke on me and fair deuce to them I didn't see it coming at all. Eileen being the obvious ring leader claimed I was an "easy target" - the audacity!!!! And poor Helen was pushed into helping.

They blew up a tonne of balloons, got some string and some shaving foam and what with there being 3 weeks until their degree finals had PLENTY of time to go harass people. As you would.

The plan was to tie the balloons to my car and dump a whole load inside too (which unfortunately with a broken car is pretty easy) and then "write messages" in shaving foam on the windows. Immature but cleverish. For two people less than a month away from getting degrees.

And what did the idiots do???? They came out to my college, found my car and began work. On my car, which was parked right infront of a window of the classroom I was sitting in.

After I noticed one or two people turning around, I glanced behind. I don't know which I saw first, Eileen or the balloons before I shrieked "that's MY car!!!" and ran out to kill them. It's always nice to have witnesses to these sort of occasions. Luckily I arrived when they had just begun their stupidity so there was hardly anything done.

So the fools were foiled. Eileen had to drive away with the tonne of balloons in HER car (might call that one a backfire??) but being fools they are STILL congratulating themselves on a 'great' job. Even though they failed. And looked like fools.

But never mind, I always have LOVED the taste of well planned revenge, muahawhawhawhawhaw! Which I might point out to Eileen actually hasn't been done yet despite thoughts to the contrary...

Good Friday Again!

I'm still on Easter break, but decided to go to college on Friday anyway. Knowing someone in the know who also knows someone in the know I got to know to someone who knows. I had my camera but no memory card (ugh) but I got my hands on someone elses and got photos. Mr Tommy Tiernan, Whoop:

Baddier Thursday...

Well so much for the 'okay -despite crash- car'. My prediction for what will go wrong next: Driving on road, feel a shift, four wheels separate and roll off in separate directions and steering wheel will come away in my hands. Tsk the hassle of it all!

A heap of other stuff this morning made for a sobering day. It's funny, sometimes we rely on the compasses life gave us so much, despite the fact that they never came with a guarantee that said 'life is predictable'. You make certain assumptions about yourself and about others and then, WHACK BAM, life intervenes. You think "wow, never saw that one coming in a million years, ever". And then you consider that other peoples' lives, as happy and content as the look, as care free as they seem all have problems too. And although you can never know what goes on in somebody else's mind, you hope that, for a time at least, they were genuinely as happy as what the world looking in saw.

Baddy Wednesday

I'm still in the swing of my Easter holidays, although today was my first productive day. I actually opened up a word document this morning to begin a report due next week. It doesn't matter if it's still blank (except for when I was checking how to spell words throughout the day), the point is it's PROGRESS!!! Tomorrow, we type.

I learned today that my Tacrolimus levels (Tacrolimus being the immuno suppressant / anti-rejection medication/tablets I take) were actually HIGH last week! For those in the know, the score was 15.something. Which means I need to take less of that for the first time in a year. It's weird because it's not good to have abnormal levels, but at the same time my body is saying I'm getting too much immuno-suppressingness. So down the dose we go. Whoop?

And then the drama of my life, like ever (see title!) happened this evening. I was driving. I had stopped whilst waiting to turn right. I had the music in my car up, not at an exceptional level but some rock beat tune was bopping away all the same. I hear a sound and in two seconds my mind thinks the following:

Sounds like a car's brakes screeching
(Looking at radio) Oh no, it's just that song
(Look in mirror) Oh, that person's going fast behind me
Oh Gawd, they're gonna smack me
What's this gonna be like...

Followed by:

Ker-smash!!!!!!

Now two things freak me out about this whole thing.

1. The accident wasn't that bad, but at the same time, the split second before it happened, I knew it was going to happen. I was dreading the sound of when she was going to hit and yet I couldn't move or react. So if it had been a terrible crash (we're talking fatal here - which I feel obligated to point out - it was NOWHERE NEAR), I would have known it was coming, that would have been my last thought. Freaky.

2. Although it happened on a bend on a hill, it wasn't like she didn't see me or was going too fast. She was in fact a learner and we heard the brakes going which meant either her brakes didn't work or her tyres had no grip. Either way, I was half way down the hill, had I NOT been there, she could have kept on going down that hill, gathering speed, and the accident would have occurred when she reached the crossroads which one doesn't even want to think about! Now I'm not calling myself a martyr (oh who are we kidding!!!!), but it could have been a lot worse.

The noise of the bang was terrible. It lasted a second and the glittering silence afterwards was a relief. Me and my sister had been arguing just before and as it happened (hardly surprising), so it almost had a 'Home&Away' feel to it really (although I wasn't fiddling around on the floor looking for a tape and consequently didn't end up in a river and nearly drown which has been known to happen down on the bay), but we did hug afterwards. The most important thing was that everyone was OK. There was actually hardly any damage except for the hole in my back bumper thing which although will be a price to fix, considering the impact is actually pretty miraculous.

I felt TERRIBLE for the poor girl who did it though, I really did. She was just so shook by it all and there was nothing I could say except to reassure her I was fine. I know if I was in that position though I'd be the same. I even feel so bad for her now. I'm going to text her tomorrow to check she's OK because yikes it's awful to see someone in that state.

So we'll call this Baddy Wednesday, and hope that it won't happen again. Ever. Touch wood and appreciate life.

Goody Friday

I'm off my antibiotics at last and have been given a bill of good health (touch wood, bang head etc). My only problem (yes, I can't resist being centre of attention) is that my second belly button- the site where my feeding tube was removed last year- has been acting up and my Mum, who has been pestering me to mention it to my team for ages, told me to "REMIN.THM.A.BOUT.TUMMY.THING" (she's not used to texting off the house phone) yesterday which I did. I thought they'd tell me it's fine and normal, but in fact they've ordered an ultra sound, followed by a CT scan with contrast if the ultra sound shows abnormalities. Goodness! I probably should have told them about this a while ago...

And then I slept yesterday for a total of 17 hours (go me!) and I hope that's my 'jet lag' from Switzerland dealt with!

Switzerland was fantastic, I had SUCH an amazing time. Admittedly I should have either had more lessons before I went or just not bothered forking out for lessons at all as they didn't do me much good. Luckily my 'kinda' cousin who has skied down volcanoes in Russia (!!!!!) helped me out a great deal and I got the hang of parallel turning (which I swear I knew how to do last year) on the last day. I'm going to keep going skiing somewhere every year until I get the hang of the bugger as I hate not being good at something that I try. Except for snowboarding - the concussion taught me that.

I was a bit of a drama queen the first day when I fell as I heard the ski binding snap and immediately thought I'd done something, at which point my head screamed "altitude, altitude, don't panic!" at which point I panicked internally. And then when I started skiing again, I couldn't catch my breath properly and my legs hurt and all that was missing were the violins.

And then the next morning my knee was so stiff it kept twinging when I moved, which meant I couldn't even go skiing that morning and my Mum thought it was because of the 'fright' I got the day before. Which it wasn't! And I might add here that I am convinced I have some sort of joint problem or Arthritis of some sort as lately my hip ACHES when I walk for a period of time, but that's for another doctor's appointment.

So I chanced it and went up to the slopes that afternoon and felt much better.

To thank my 'kinda' cousin who has skied on volcanoes, for all his help, we bought him a ridiculous green hat.

Verbier is an incredible place it must be said, and our "Woodland" family were so hospitable and kind and generous. I know there won't be enough space on my 'thank you' card!

I'm Back...

...In one piece!

I did manage to sleep in this morning for my clinic appointment - they didn't seem too fussed when I rang them so I'll go tomorrow instead.

Wish Me Luck!

I start school tomorrow - ski school that is!! (I know BF will appreciate the 'ugh'ness of that 'joke') I'm getting up in 2 and a half hours to get ready. We begin our trip up north and flying out from there.

Five years ago, I went up to learn how to ski with my school as some of them were going to Boston on their ski trip. I wasn't going but wanted to try it anyway. I missed my first lesson as I was sick/had clinic and my PE teacher came to me and said I wouldn't be allowed to continue unless I made up that lesson on my own time before returning for the second class. That same PE teacher always had this thing about me and my CF and never seemed to 'get' it, I always seemed to be 'faking' to her. Terribly unreasonable that one. I could go on but maybe another time.

So needless to say I didn't bother going up for a lesson by myself, on my own time and decided to just wing it. Anyway we ended up in the same class the second week and that instructor was incredibly understanding and didn't even question WHY I was absent. She thought I took to it well (better than my PE teacher who had her eyes constantly on me and who had zero coordination, so ha) and I progressed well. Although I wasn't going to Boston, I was motivated to try skiing again some time.


* * *

Two years ago, I approached my physiotherapist about the possibility of going skiing and she said because of the altitude, I could only go so high and I'd obviously need to use oxygen tanks all the time, and I'd need to be 100% fit of course as well. Now being able to plan a trip in advance and knowing I would be 100%, when my lungs didn't function and I'd get an infection every 10days or so meant that the odds of that happening were.... about as good as my lung function (circa 22-30%).

Ever the optimist I questioned her about the 'ifs' and 'ok, but assumings' and she said it could be possible. My hope raised at that and at the end of the conversation I said to her 'OK, now I won't be hurt, but honestly, in your opinion do you think it's possible...I want the truth.'.

Her head turned and she made about 10 facial gestures in a second concluding in a weak, apologetic smile and replied "no".

She was right of course.

But that's all in the past, as tomorrow I'm getting to finally ski. Considering in the past I've been known to break my arm, have the cast removed and on the same day break the other arm, a bit of luck may be needed!!! Toodle Pip! x

Changing Days

This weekend is Paddy's weekend!!! Saturday to be specific! Someone (the Church? Government?) changed the date of St Patrick's day to the 15th this year as it (the 17th) clashes with a Bank Holiday on Monday. Or it has something to do with Easter, I can't remember exactly which one.

Anyway being the incredibly patriotic family who never once stood in the rain watching a misreable parade going by, it's no surprise that we won't be here this year. I suppose I'll muster the energy to wear something green. Maybe.

I have a useless memory for these sort of public holidays, and weirdly the only one I rememeber 'celebrating' was when I was about 12. I was in hospital and I wore green eyeshadow (I was passionate once) which led the nurse to thinking there was something wrong with my eyes. I'm guessing I looked like a clown, but when I was 12, I don't think knew the word 'subtle' . Anyway, that year, we went and had pizza in pizza hut. I don't know why that sticks in my mind so much. Maybe it was the fact that my Dad in his best voice, asked for 'An-ko-vies' instead of 'anchovies' on his pizza.

How random.

Update/Downdate on Me

This is more 'olds' than 'news' but sera-sera. Last week's appointment (the one with the wacky bus drivers who neither wanted me to get there or wanted me to arrive home) showed a similar very good lung function (approx 98%) to the last one measured; the finer points were down but by so little that that could be contributed to anything (different machine, different room etc). So where to now?

Well to the Rhino Horn we go. I only do this Rhino Horn yoke for my sinuses about once a week at MOST! So I have now increased it to twice or three times a day, and one 'horn' per side. Which totals four to six uses per day. Then I have to do colomycin nebulisers twice a day with that.

I'm also on Ciproxin and Azithromycin tablets to help and I'll take those for about 2 weeks.

So where to then?

Well being the lucky person that I am, I'm off skiing in the Alps at the end of this week so at the mention of IV antibiotics, I explained that...I'm off skiing in the Alps at the end of this week so that was a no go. He (Doc) was happy to do the above treatment first anyways.

SOOoooooo, the day after I come home I'm into clinic (they want to check if I've been sunbathing I suspect) and decisions will be made then. I can't see IVs physically working as I have no veins for one week of treatment let alone two, but at the same time I'd definitely be up for them as it would mean hopefully getting a clean slate and clearing all that stuff out. Plus I'll be on Easter break so it's not like I'll be missing much.

With my last project in for the year due tomorrow (how amazing that I've missed NOTHING this year??) things are beginning to relax slightly. So all in all, we concentrate on the here and now, and at the moment the most important thing is that I work on not putting my foot into it in social situations as I seem to have acquired a talent for doing that lately. It's hardly related to my health but at least it's something I can control!!! Toodle Pip!

Mysteries of this world...

A comment was made yesterday asking about the person in my class who only had one arm. They asked why said person was wearing two gloves. Good question. Another person said it was because said person might not want to make it obvious, but if you're only carrying one pole, then, you know....it's obvious.*** But huge admiration to the person, I can't imagine it's the easiest thing to do something as physical and balance-required as skiing with one arm. So that's one mystery.

2nd Mystery: The 46a bus.

In past, I referred to the 46a as a reliable old soul of a bus. It goes up near my hospital (where I was this morning) and I'm always the last person left on it on such days. The bus driver has, in past, driven me up off route nearer the hospital to be nice and I would think "Oh how nice".

But today?! Did someone slip something in their tea???

I was told by the 46a morning driver to get off, because I was the last passenger left and he was "heading back into town now". He didn't complete the route!! He'd obviously forgotten about me and had his mind made up. I was like "doesn't this bus go up there???" and he just told me "em...well...I'm going back into town now, so you'd better get off here". Rudeness.

And then something even MORE bizarre!!

On the way home I was on the 46a, going down the dual carriage way when I notice the bus driver is beginning to get anxious, making frequent telephone calls to someone. He muttered swear words and rapped his fingers on the dash board. Then on his last and final phone-call he said

"There's nobody else around me....I have to go...I have to go!!!"

Being near the front I had a good ear's reach of the conversation and the man on the phone said "OK, turn off the engine and tell the passengers. And turn OFF the engine"

"Well what will I say?" panicked the bus driver

"Just say something about an emergency". replied the man in an assertive tone

So the bus driver takes a deep breath. Steps out of his booth and says:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry....this is an emergency".

Opens the doors. Gets off. AND RUNS AWAY!!!

We watched with confused faces as the bus driver dashed through a car park, reached a bank...and ran inside. And never came back. Ever.

?!??!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

Being ever so witty I said "Does anyone else know how to drive a bus?" and to my shock I heard a woman say "Doesn't Phil droive buses fir CIE?? OW buh isn it his day offf taday?"

So we sat. And sat. Andddddd sat. One idiotic lady got on, and paid and then went and sat down(!).

I cleverly spotted a bus behind and hopped off and hopped on that one. Selfishly I didn't tell anyone else and they all watched with sad faces as my new bus overtook theirs wishing they were as clever as me (as I?).

Anyway, I'll always wonder what happened to those people, where that man went (my mum suggested it might have been he needed the loo) and if he ever came back.


*** I should really tell the story about my aunt who parked in a disabled spot for convenience and then lied about having a fake hand to the tickety man and then made her hand (in glove) move in a mechanical fashion to make it look like she had a wooden hand, and then the suspicious man let her off. But that's for another day.

Um

Well skiing wasn't cancelled, in fact we had our lesson on 'snow' which in all honesty was more like ice. Slippy scary ice. But ...

Can someone please hand me a hearing aid, a paper bag for my head, a hole to jump down, the ground to swallow me up...anything!!!

We were practising leaning all the way forward on our skis, with our poles outstretched when the instructor noticed someone only had one pole. She asks:

"'X', why have you only got one pole?!"

What I heard:

"Emm...Because I've only got one pole".

I laughed, because of the cheekiness of it. I mean talk about back answering!! It was funny. If you'd been there you'd have laughed at the blunt honesty too!

Except I heard wrong.

What was actually said:






















..."Because I've only got one arm".

Whether the Weather be cold...

Or whether the weather be hot; Whether the weather, whatever the weather, whether you like it or not.

It never snows here....ever! It rains. Constantly. The only difference between winter and summer is the direction of the rain. But now it's snowing!!! Did I mention it never snows here?! Now most likely it won't stick, it'll be gone by the time I've clicked "Publish Post" but still, it's ever so pretty.

Now I know where some of you out there live, you can have your snowmen over for tea but here, no, so let me have my moment and don't tell me how great your igloos are.

The funny thing? I'm going skiing in an hour. To ski on DRY slopes. What do you want to bet my ski lesson will be cancelled due to the fact that it's snowing?

Pseudemonas

Heavy.

Not exactly what I wanted to hear at all. It's a wretched bug to grow before transplant and it's not much more pleasent afterwards when you stir it with a low immune system.

Still, there's no difference between today and yesterday except that I have this knowledge. And I think that's probably the healthiest (pardon the pun) way to look at it as worrying won't change the weather.

I've taken Ciproxin (smarties), Augmentin Duo and Zitromax since Christmas so I think that maybe a different route, approach and tactic may be required. Read through the lines what you will. Apply literal meanings where you see fit. I'll keep y'all updated. Remember, never and dont't worry until I tell you to.


What is Pseudemonas???

Dr Wiki says: P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen, most commonly affecting immunocompromised patients (that's me), such as those with Cystic Fibrosis(that's me again!) or AIDS (ahem, definately NOT me!!!)

Infection can affect many different parts of the body, but infections typically target the respiratory tract (e.g. patients with CF or those on mechanical ventillation), causing bacterial pneumonia. Treatment of such infections can be difficult due to multiple antibiotic resistance.

Random

I debated whether to post this video, because I fear some people won't "get" it. I think it's funny. If you don't, then insert witty saying !!!



Also I know that piracy can be a touchy subject for some readers, and perhaps this video might stir some guilty feelings inside some of us. I of course, have a clean conscience, because I think that movie pirating is a terrible crime. And no, my editions of The Butterfly Effect, High School Musical 2, In America, The Departed are NOT pirated. Somebody bought those for me fair and square from a kind gentleman at a stall in Thailand. Well they had to give him a list first and then return half an hour later and pick them up, but they were a GREAT bargain, even though they didn't come with a box. Anyway point is, piracy is theft. You should look out for great deals like I found, they're a steal!!

Go On Ya Good Thing!

Finally, we have someone representing us in the Eurovision who we can be proud of.



I will write more about this once I start talking to my laptop again.

Hearing The Birds Sing When You Come Home

I'm all for taking it easy and partying hard, but 5am is stretching it. Even for me.

Newbies

Since my 'V' key ran away, my spacebar developed arthritus and my whole laptop seemed to put on weight making it rather immobile in terms of bringing it to college, to the library, to parties, I decided to buy another one.

All mine:



Just the black one, not all three, because having more than two laptops would be a little bit ridiculous.

Congratulations to G-raze who now drives a new car. It's silver, imagine how much that would cost!!!

Thank You

To whoever it was that reversed into the side of Delilah, left no note and drove away.

So mean.

You swines!

National Rifle Association

(National Rifle Association website)

And one wonders why North America has such problems with shootings these days..

An Observation

Today someone phoned me on my mobile. I didn't recognise the number so was a bit pancaked as to who it was.

I answered.

It was a lady, not an old lady, but not a young lady, but you'd have an idea if you heard her, aged lady.

I said "hello?"

She said "Hi, only me"

Thinking it was my Mom, I said "Oh hi"

*Silence*

Then she stuttered and said "Sorry I must have the wrong number, I'm looking for Olive..."

( I resisted the temptation to shout "Oh POP-EYEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" )

So we hung up. But my Mom uses that *exact* gentle tone whenever she phones home. It's not a brash, colonol's "Hello. It's. Me." but rather a mothering "only me" - just simple, "you're-not-expecting-my-call-but-here-I-am-anyway".

Do all moms do that? Maybe it's universal. That is all.

Skiing

As some of you may remember, I spent a few months last year during Skiing season finally learning how to ski. On our dry slopes here they have five sets of lessons: A-E. 'A' for people who have never been on skis before and 'E' for which "teaches variations on the parallel turn, practising techniques for confident and efficient mastery of the pistes!"

Last year I got as far as D4.

I got back up tonight and I had forgotten everything. EVERYTHING. It didn't help that they gave me 140 size skis and not 150s which I'm used to. That set me off because it was different and I don't like change.

So I'm off to book lessons.

Still, my friend who I went with is 17 so when they asked her age they presumed I was the same age, so I paid child's fare.

Rosie: 1, System: 108583025872. Take that SYSTEM!!!

Results:

Well if truth be told I had a pretty crummy Sunday and a pretty tiring weekend (except for EILEEN's party obviously). Clinic was scheduled for tomorrow but last night I just felt so 'wan' I decided to ring up and go over this morning. Or get my Mom to ring and then I'd go over.

Interestingly, to my amazment, my lung functions are great! They're at about 3.04Litres which equates to 97-98%! So that means that my lungs are still functioning good (no rejection), despite the yucky symtoms I've been experiencing.

Got blood first go (like turning on a tap in fact) although the only results I heard back this afternoon were my White Blood Count which was "normal".

My glands are swollen at the moment though and so this morning it seemed combined with my symptoms that glanduler fever (tiredness and 8 hour naps!) was the culprit. But then the doctor this afternoon disagreed. So "mystery illness" it is then!

They are examining my blood for all sorts of sorts so hopefully that will show something and nothing. In the meantime I'm on a course of Zitromax (we are "treating this blindly" for the moment).

Now aren't you glad I poured my inner most health thoughts out. So we can now go back to not worrying again ;)

Same Old & Parties

Some of you who have been wasting your lives reading this dribble for a while will remember EILEEN. She used to be the one I always had to mention but then I stopped. Anyway you oldies will be interested to know that EILEEN is also growing old. She's now (nearly) 21! It was her party tonight in fact. We went to a restauant and had nice food and then went off out to McGowan's.

I went off to a lecture in Trinity today where I learned all about careers available for psychologists. Then I went shopping and searched high and low for the present I wanted to get the girl and couldn't find it anywhere!

Anyway along my travels I received a text fromher. Having read this blog she was concerned I was rather unwell and perhaps I shouldn't come out after all. Now, I don't remember but I'm sure I said 'I'm not worried so you (all) don't need to be either" and that still stands. Yes I am sick but most importantly, I STILL HAVE MY APPETITE. And as I mentioned, EILEEN'S party was at a restaurant - paid for!!

...In all seriousness though, please don't be getting worried about me! I'm fine. And I'll have a much clearer picture of things on Tuesday where I promise to blog right from the clinic walls*.

Things I enjoyed tonight: Being able to sit down with friends and have a three course BIG meal. If you did not know me 19months ago, you may not realise just how significant that is. (Anyone from school remember me trying to eat a banana for lunch?!)

Anyway, happy birthday, birthday girl! She doesn't have any friends so please wish her a happy birthday if you read this; it will make her feel like a human.

*So not happening but you get me!

Aimless Naps etc Continued...

Well I rang my team this afternoon. Just because I felt I should. My wrist was a bit puffy yesterday morning (kinda like old ladies' ankles are only it was in my wrist) which is a sign of fishy buisiness. They said it was probably related to this infection.

They looked up my lab results which show I'm growing Pseudemonas in my lungs (pre-transplant bug - nothing TOO much to worry about there!) and that Smarties Ciproxin should work for that. But alas it doesn't.

On Tuesday they'll do a full review of me and may do a "few extra tests" and "have a look at a few things". I'm itching to see how my lung functions are. Most crucially (I feel like being dramatic so shush) what my nurse said was that perhaps I may be someone who needs IVs for infections if oral tablets don't work.

To be honest I'm a bit hesitant considering my past experience in September, not forgetting my absolute shiver-down-my-spine-turn-blue phobia I have for drips in my hands and arms - And I'm really not being dramatic about that one, remind me to post about that another time, it's interesting studying psychology and seeing what long term effects one can suffer from a bad experience! So if it was the case of needing IVs, perhaps an alternative to sputty lines would be looked at.

That being said, however, it might be good to wipe the slate clean with a good dose of IVs, I just hope they wouldn't be very often!

As well, I may well be jumping the gun a whole lot here, analysing where I shouldn't be analysing, so shoot me. Or go away!

Aimless Naps and Rambles

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I have a chest infection at the moment. It started about a month ago circa (!) New Years. Back then I took Ciproxin tablets which did nothing. I then took some Augmentin Duo tablets which did something but overall nothing. I'm about 10days off antibiotics now and unfortunately I am not much better. It's probably not an issue I should put on the back burner considering an infection after transplant is never good, let alone when it's the transplanted organ that is infected.

Apparently I missed my clinic on Tuesday but I think there were wires crossed somewhere as I had it written that it's this coming Tuesday. Nevermind. Anyway, I've been up to my eyes with assignments and assesments in college and I don't want to sound flippant about my health and blah blah(!), but I couldn't find a day to get over to see them. However it's come to the point that friends have begun to notice my productive cough and chestiness, and where I need to leave class to "cough".

So today I finished college at 3pm and went to pick up my Dad from the airport bus at about 4. I was soooooo zonked all I wanted to do was sleep. So when we got back to the house at 4.15 I went straight to bed for a nap.

I woke again at 12.30am!!! Talk about messed up clock now! I had my dinner an hour ago at 1am. I will go back to bed soon or else I fear I'll have jet lag only without the luxury of having been away anywhere.

I don't write this to get everyone worried or anything like that as if there's ever a need to worry I'll let y'all know. But this blog is about transplant too and I don't know if this excessive napping (I fell asleep at Sweeney Todd last week...) is to do with infection or just tiredness. I'll go to clinic on Monday or Tuesday and have my lung functions done and hopefully that will shed a bit of light on something!

Rant About Ranters and NonFact Readers

So in Ireland there are three children's hospitals: Tallaght Hospital, Temple Street Hospital and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin (commonly called Crumlin Hospital).

I can't remember exactly when, I'm guessing about two years ago, it was decided that ONE hospital with everything in it should be built for the children, and ideally it should be located on the grounds of an adult hospital site. Bascially so that the country's expertised was housed in one building etc. To me it makes sense.

A report was undertaken and it looked at several hospitals around the world in order to make a list of what the new hospital should have and what it should be like if that makes sense. Then the report do-ers looked at a few different sites to relocate the new hospital: A greenfield site was one, Tallaght I think was another. So skip the light fandango and The Mater Hospital (incidentally where I attend now) site was chosen. This is located in the north inner city - loads of traffic, hard to get to from the country etc, etc.

There was hoo-haww because it happens to be in Bertie Ahearn's (Taiseach/Primeminsiter)constituency and he "coulda rigged it!".

My opinion: It should be built where RTE is located - a mere minutes away from Vincent's Hospital. It's a PERFECT site, just beside the dual carraige way (easy access) and yet it's its own site. Of course trying to get journalists to move out of RTE just wouldn't happen so it wasn't evenm considered.

ANYWAYS, browsing bebo today I come across a page entitled "SAVE OUR LADY'S CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN CRUMLIN" which is run by a mother of five who feels "The loss of this Hospital to the local people and patients far and wide would be a great blow". I think from the gist of the site that "the loss of this Hospital to the local people" is probably the main concern. There is a great deal of bias on the site and when people come in who don't read facts and are so easily swayed by hype it gets annoying. For example some of the support comments read:

"Cant believe they want to shut down a childrens hospital -You have all the support from us mums" and "hope our stupid Government dont close de hospital down." - They're not shutting down a hospital full stop, they are relocating it. Big difference.

Most of the other comments speak of their own experiences with Crumlin but nearly ALL of them want to save Crumlin for emotinal reasons. "They saved my life" etc.

What people don't realise is that it is paramount that they rebuild the hospital. A simple 'lick of paint' or 'get it done up' won't do. Like Vincent's there are no ensuite rooms. Even in the Oncology ward which includes the Bone Marrow Transplant unit (where people are SERIOUSLY unwell - we're talking no immune systems at all) they don't have the facilities. Chemotherapy for Irish children is housed in a porta-cabin!!

The point of this ramble is one I privately...or who are kidding, PUBLICLY rant about all the time. People and moaners who sit back in their chairs, read absolutely nothing of FACT and then shout their opinion from the highest building. Everybody blames Mary Harney our health minister for what's wrong with the health service. Was she the one who mucked it up years ago? No she has been health minister for four years. Where do you begin untangelling a spider web? Are people so naive that they believe things can be fixed overnight? I'm not getting into a politics rant as goodness knows I could be here all evening.

Cruicially and this backs up my last point is that nearly ALL the comments on that page say "think of the children". Yes, we should. And that is why a new hospital is needed.

Fundraising for CF

Yesterday people shook buckets for Cystic Fibrosis in Dundrum Town Centre. My parents, my sister and I took the Tesco enterance in shifts. This was probably the most 'hands on' fundraising I've ever done (apart from collecting a euro from everyone for 'Non Uniform Day' in school). It was a really great experience as you get to witness pure generosity and kindness from strangers; it restores faith that people are good!!

Some people came up and put in money quietly and didn't want the pin or keyring in return. Others came up and had a personal connection to CF so it was nice to talk to them. Amazingly two people came up to me and said they had been in St Vincent's hospital and had witnessed what people with Cystic Fibrosis have to endure (with the lack of facilities among other things) and felt compelled to offer a contribution. And quite a number of people mentioned the 'Joe Duffy' radio show which catapullted CF into the limelight a couple of weeks ago.

On a personal note I enjoyed being able to volunteer on behalf of the CF association as it celebrates the fact that I have the health to be able volunteer! As well as this, it is a great tool for awareness and fundraising at the same time. I really feel it is so, so important to give back where and when you can.

On a related note, registration opens for the Women's Mini Marathon (10k) at the end of this month and I would strongly encourage anyone who has legs (or wheels of course) to take part. It's on the 2nd of June. Trust me, if *I* am still here typing this this year having completed it last year, anyone can do it. I was more concerned about the rain's devestating effects on my fake tan let's not forget!! If anyone is interested in walking/running/wheeling (in chairs only) around with us please contact me!

The Broken Laptop Again

I lost the letter V altogether. It might be at the bottom of my school bag, who knows. I'm getting used to writing things so that I can avoid work around the fact that I have no 'v' key.

This means limited use of words like:

Have

Love

Viola